Well, now we are really getting into things, aren't we? Boy am I enjoying keeping you all nicely confused and in suspense… haha Account not found (winking smiley face). But if you do have any questions with regards to this story or any others, please ask me because I am willing to explain. However, I cannot tell you too much because that would ruin the story! And please don't be confused by the German in the previous chapter; its all "meant to be"…you will discover exactly why later on, sort of.
Any way, I don't own these characters or the Piper etc. And all hail LMM's "coming out soon" book, The Blythes are Quoted. Google it. You won't regret it, particularly if you live in America or Canada, I think.
When she saw the train round the bend, she had been pretty sure, almost positive, that she would never see him again. Hear him laugh, see him smile, feel the warm touch of his hand against hers, hear his melodious voice recounting of the glorious battles of yore or the beauty of the night nymph. Neverr again would she feel his steady gaze watching her. But, something invivisble, some unspoken bond had been formed between them over the past few years. For Una, Walter would never, could never, be the same person to her again, ever. And, she once thought, still thought, that perhaps it was thanks to to that fatal announcement the night of the harbour dance.
The memory of the harbour dance was still as clear as day to her…the music, the dancers, everything. How loving and tender Walter had been, despite the sudden shadow of war that now loomed overhead. That declaration had caused Una to momentarily blackout, and she had, in doing so, bumped her head againsst a low hanging bow of the tree she had been standing by. This had been an onset of the sudden severe pain that had struck her heart; so painful that consciousness had slipped away for a few moments, and the tree had brought it sharply back. And, incidently, a headache and a horrible sickening feeling in her soul of the coming hardship, ended up being the end result.
As she stood there, it seemed that time had frozen around her. The voices of her husband and son mingled into a silent nothingless. She remembered fondly the way Walter had helped her into Jem's boat, how he'd walked her home, and especially the way he had kept his arm around her waist for "extra support", as he'd carefully put it. Later on, when they'd discussed their past and how it would impact their new life together, Walter told Una of how something inside of him had snapped.
"It was then that I realised just how understanding and loving you were; how important our friendship was. How important you were to not quite how much I'd come to love and depend on you…yet."
The kiss he had given her before he left may have seemed brotherly, but it had a certain sweetness in it that belonged only to love. Una had known, always had known, how Walter felt about war: particularly the one he was going to fight in. At Redmond he had written her letters containing much of his bitterness and sorrow; and once he had reached the dreaded front, of some of the things he had seen, heard and felt. But also of things that he had known all along. She, in turn, had trusted him to many secrets that she had held inside her heart and of the things that pained her soul. The suffering from her motheer's death, and the way it had inflicted her and hurt her deeply, oh so deeply. They had become soulmates, confidances; refuges for each other when times bought it down upon then too hard.
When word came that Walterhad been killed at Courcelette, the flame went out. Snuffed out by a single German bullet. And she had not, did not ever, blame the poor boy who had shot it, knowing inside of him, that if he didn't, there would be hell to pay.
But she had known; the Piper and Dog Monday had seen to that! Oh, the look in that poor dog's faithful, brown eyes, and the ominous moaning of the tune interwined with the wind.
"Mummy mummy mummy. Can we bake monkey face cookies? Please!" the last word of the request was dragged out into an imploring plead.
"Oh, I…I guess so," Una stammered, being woken joltingly from her reverie. She blinked and shook her head to rid it of the cobwebs of the past, which were clouding her conscience.
"YAY!!!" cried the small youth, and with that he ran enthusiastically to the small kitchen at the rear of the cottage.
"Are you ok, sweetheart?" Walter asked gently, approaching her from behind. He lay his hand over hers and looked softly into her eyes.
"Hmmm…yes. I'm fine. I was just remebering, you know, things of the past," she replied meditatively.
Walter gave her hand a comforting squeeze but she saw that sad, haunted look in his eyes. He understood. Tears came to her eyes, but he brushed them away and smiled. She smiled back, as bravely as she could. Hand in hand, they walked back into the house, together.
"Mummy. Can we put lots and lots and lots of extra sugar into the cookies?" demanded young Walter of his mother, tugging impatiently on her skirt.
"Don't be so impatient, Walter. Can't you see your mother and I were busy?" but the older Walter's eyes were shining.
"Sorry." The young mind was working. "But can we?" persisted Walt. "Please. They will be ever so much nicer if we do. Please please please."
"We don't have sugar to our abundance, Walter. So not too much," Una assented.
"Hooray!" cried both Walters, the younger of which threw his arms in the air and ran off to do a victory lap of the garden. "Monkey face cookies all round!" added Walter jubilantly.
"Really, Walter. You're not much older than your son. Goodness gracious me!" with that comment made Una turned around to begin cooking the said cookies. Walter only laughed boyishly. The same laugh that echoed hauntingly in Rainbow Valley.
For a moment, all the past's troubles vanished into nothing. Una smiled gently, glad to see him happy.
Hahaha, that is not all. There may be another couple of chapters to come. One cannot possibly stuff everything into the one chapter, of course. It must flow…
Please leave a review though, it would be much appreciated. And tell me if I mix my facts. And if you have any suggestions to make as to the going of my story…"I want to know", as Davy Keith says with great gusto.
Have a lovely day…but it may be about to get a whole lot more confusing and scandalous! Haha, not too much though. But I must admitt that Walter and Una are in a little bit of a pickle. They are not dead, but their family doesn't know this…
Always keep faith (particularly in this story, it will work out!!).
A Forgotten One (mwhahahahaha…gleefully evil laugh)
